Brotherhood
by Burning Phoenix X-7
Summary: A journey to see the world is a task for the bold and the adventurous. A task that a select few is willing to take on to see where the roads, seas and skies may take them.
1. Chapter I: City of the Night

**BROTHERHOOD**

 **Chapter I: City of the Night**

Usually he enjoyed sleeping in or taking naps, but for some reason, on this night, Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum could not sleep. His father, the king, was up working late again but at least had managed to take the time to read a bedtime story and say goodnight to his son.

That should have been enough to appease the young prince and send him right to sleep. But now he was unable to do so. He still felt rather energetic, and despite wanting to fall asleep, his body and mind wanted to play. However, even he knew better than to just sneak around at this hour and he wished to avoid being grounded.

Noctis continued to toss and turn in bed until he could take it no longer. He threw his covers off and began pacing in his bedroom, then moved over to his window to take in the lights that still shone bright despite the hour. Insomnia definitely lived up to its name; even when many people were in bed, there were also people who were still out and about and would only go to bed once the sun was in the sky.

Before the little prince could decide whether he should sneak out or not, there was a light knock on his door. Noctis tensed but slowly approached the door and opened it slightly. To his surprise, bright blue eyes stared back at him.

"Lightning? What's up?" He asked as he opened the door widely and let his friend in.

Lightning was a young girl around the prince's age but a year older; she had rose-colored hair, a very unique color that certainly stood out among the usual dark-haired or blonde Lucians.

"Can't sleep," She admitted after a while and sat on the prince's bed.

Noctis joined her and sat beside her. "Me neither. I dunno why… My dad came and told me a story, but I still can't sleep."

"But you always fall asleep when King Regis reads to you." Lightning said, looking quite surprised.

The prince shook his head sadly and his friend stared at her hands for a moment before she suddenly hopped off the bed. Noctis watched as she moved over to look out his window, then turned back to him and grabbed his hand.

"Lightning…?" He questioned.

"Let's go." She whispered.

Noctis tilted his head curiously. "Go where?"

"Go exploring for a bit, until we get tired enough to go back to sleep! We don't really feel tired yet anyway!" Lightning pulled him off the bed and headed for the door.

The young prince looked down the halls, making sure it was empty. "We might get caught though. My dad will have Crownsguard all over the entrances."

Lightning gave him a look. "I got in here. That means none of them saw me."

"How _did_ you do that?" Noctis asked, when he realized she had been right about that.

The young orphan tilted her head. "I can show you, if you come with me."

Noctis looked back at into his bedroom then back at Lightning before a smile appeared on his face and he took his friend's hand and Lightning led him down the empty palace halls where they soon found the first guard standing at his post.

Lightning put a finger to her lips and nodded over to the Crownsguard member standing there. Noctis looked at her curiously, waiting for his friend's next move.

After a moment, Lightning grabbed the prince's hand and led him in another direction, taking a different route around the guard standing there. The prince was slightly tensed but at the same time he was feeling a strange sense of a rush as he snuck around to escape the palace with his friend.

It always surprised him how Lightning seemed to easily sneak in and out of the palace as she pleased, even right underneath the Crownsguard's noses. Even if they did catch her wandering in or out, they never realize it until it was too late. It amused even King Regis himself.

"Where do we go if we do get out?" They young prince asked as he and his companion snuck past another guard.

"We can play in that spot you always go to." She suggested and Noctis grinned at the idea.

The two still remembered the time Gladiolus' little sister, Iris, stumbled upon their little secret playground and had gotten lost due to following a cat all the way out of the palace. Ever since then, the little Amicitia seemed to have gotten rather attached to the prince, sometimes even clinging to Lightning as well.

"Hey Lightning?" Noctis asked as they both made their way through the little nooks and crannies that led to the secret spot.

She glanced back at him. "Yeah?"

"When you grow older, what will you do?" Noctis stopped walking, his hand still holding onto Lightning's.

Taken aback by his sudden serious tone, Lightning looked at her friend carefully. "I think when I grow older… I want to become a Kingsglaive."

Noctis' eyes widened. "But those are my dad's _best_ people! No one can be a Kingsglaive easily because dad says they are the strongest and can use magic!"

Lightning simply nodded. "I know. And I am going to work hard to get into the Glaives! I'll be able to grow stronger and no one will ever pity me again, and I can…"

When she trailed off, Noctis moved closer to her, tilting his head slightly and giving his friend a concerned look. "Light?" He touched her shoulder gently and, to his surprise, she gave him a serious look in return.

"When I become a Kingsglaive, I can be strong, nobody will pity me and…I'll be able to protect you." Lightning said with conviction this time. She straightened, like a soldier at attention.

Noctis stared at his friend for a long moment, taking in her words and slowly realizing that she was not making this up. She was very much serious and had every intention of going through with this plan of hers for the future. Although he was still very young, he understood what the Kingsglaive had to go through with training, and his father and allowed him to take a peek at the Glaives during training and he could see that they were very intense as they entailed more than mere physical skill, but talent with magic as well.

Would Lightning really be able to go through with all that? He knew her well enough to know she was very determined and stubborn but the little prince did not want his friend to get hurt in her pursuit of something. But then he thought back to her words. She said she would also protect him. It made his cheeks a little pink.

"You know… I can protect you too, Light." The young prince said, taking hold of his friend's hands in his.

Lightning shook her head. "I'm going to be the one to protect you! I will be a strong Glaive and…no one will be able to hurt you."

"How come you wanna protect me so much?" Noctis asked softly. He felt oddly warm inside at hearing Lightning's words.

She lowered her head slightly. "Because I like you; you're my friend. And I don't want to lose people important to me ever again." Her shoulders shook a bit and she began to glare at the ground, not wanting the prince to see her getting all soft and emotional.

Noctis caught off guard when he suddenly hugged her tight. "Well, I wanna protect you too because I don't like it when you get hurt or feel sad. So…I will protect you too!"

Lightning pulled back from the hug slightly to give the young prince a look. "You're too lazy to do anything. You take naps all the time."

Despite the words, Noctis laughed and hugged her again. "And you're always so grumpy! Guess we'll protect each other, then!"

With a sigh, Lightning just pushed him back. "You're so weird sometimes, Noct!"

"But you still like me, right? 'Cause I still like you as you are." The young prince admitted.

"… Yeah. I still like you, Noct. But I mean it; I will become a Kingsglaive one day." Lightning ruffled her friend's hair playfully.

The two children then found themselves lying back and staring up at the stars. They spoke of different things; from the mundane to the topics they were most curious about. Noctis always felt so relaxed around Lightning. He didn't feel like a prince with many expectations laid on him. He felt like an ordinary boy who lived a normal life, and Lightning was always there to bring him back up whenever he was down.

Noctis reached over and placed his hand over Lightning's and the rose-haired girl glanced over at him, her cheeks turning slightly pink as she returned her gaze to the night sky. She had come to care for the little prince after his persistent attempts to make contact with her despite her skittishness around strangers.

Ever since he somehow wiggled his way into her sad little life, she had been determined to stand watch over him, to make him smile like he always made her smile every time she was sad or even angry. Hearing him say he wanted to protect her made her want to do the same for him, and more. She knew that the Kingsglaive were the elite forces of the king but she was not going to let their intense training scare her away. She had a mission and she was going to finish it.

After a while, Noctis fell asleep and his head ended up on Lightning's shoulder.

She glanced at him and blushed. However she did not have the heart to wake him up. Instead she shifted a bit, trying to find a better and more comfortable position. In the end, she had her arm around the prince's shoulders and hugged him close as he continued to sleep throughout the night.

Neither prince nor future Glaive cared that they would awaken outside of the palace and may have the chance of being scolded by the adults for sneaking out at night like they did. What mattered was that they enjoyed their little evening excursion and were looking forward to doing it all over again if it meant spending time together.

* * *

 **I felt like doing a more slice-of-life sort of story for XV (with Lightning as part of the bros) where there won't be any worries or pressures or death, or unnecessary factors. Sometimes we all need a break from drama.**

 **But for those of you worried, Sanctuaire is still alive and is not being given up on.**

 **Road trips and journeys to other places can still happen and perhaps some quests, to keep things exciting; after all it seems to be quite normal for quests to happen in the world of Final Fantasy. But for the most part it's the gang enjoying life and living it to the fullest and going on fun adventures. Basically its XV mixed with XIII if it was merely about having fun and traveling everywhere!**

 **Hope you will all look forward to it.**

 **Until then…**


	2. Chapter II: Sleepover

**Chapter II: Sleepover**

It was raining, and quite heavily.

The sudden shift in weather brought a great deal of disappointment to the prince when he realized he would be unable to spend time with his father in the park like they promised. And so, King Regis had said they would have to hold it off for another time.

And so the prince found himself trying to find entertainment in his many toys and new video game system. But all he could think about is how hard his father is working and would not be able to spend time with him again for what may feel like forever.

Noctis sighed and paused his game before getting up to leave his room for a little bit.

The halls were huge and tall; sometimes it felt lonely for the prince sometimes even though it was home. He wanted to have fun like any child would, but other children, even at school, still treated him like royalty and were more interested in asking him what it was like to like in a palace.

Noctis contemplated going to the kitchen to grab a sweet snack. However, before he could decide if he should do so or not, he could hear yelling down the hall. He turned to see one of the butlers chasing someone down, and all he needed to see was that rose-colored shade to know who it was.

"Lightning!" He greeted, feeling himself perk up immediately.

The young girl approached the young prince; she was soaked to the bone and was trailing water along the floor, much to the butler's dismay once they were both close enough to the prince.

"I got bored," Lightning said simply as she looked right at her friend.

The butler huffed at the rambunctious girl but he excused himself and returned to his duties, knowing that she was going to stay close to the prince now, all the while mumbling about telling one of the maids to clean the mess that the prince's playmate made.

Noctis took Lightning's hand and led her back to his bedroom.

Once they were there, he went to grab a towel and dried her off himself. Lightning grunted in protest, frowning at the young prince, but remained in place until he was done trying her hair. However, her clothes were still soaked through and Noctis gave her a worried look.

"You need new clothes or you'll get sick!" He said and rushed to his wardrobe.

"I'm fine! They will get dry." Lightning protested.

However, the prince ignored her and pulled out some of his clothes for her to use. He pushed them into her arms and his playmate frowned at him.

"I don't want you to get sick. If you got sick, then you won't be able to come visit…" Noctis mumbled, looking away from her shyly.

His words made Lightning pause for a moment and she stared at the young prince. She did not really consider that, but she was sure that she would have still gone into the palace to visit him anyway. Still, he looked quite worried and it made the girl sigh in defeat before she went into the bathroom to change her clothes.

When she came back out, Noctis was smiling happily. Now they would be able to play without any worries that Lightning might catch a cold.

"We can get something in the kitchen!" The prince said, taking Lightning's hand once again and leading her out of the room and down the halls.

The two friends ran for the kitchens, planning on snatching a couple of sweet treats when they got there. It always energized them for any of their adventures, much to the dismay of some of the servants, and though he may not admit it out loud, it was rather amusing to King Regis.

"What do you wanna have?" Noctis asked as they began their little raid of the fridge. Lightning joined him to see what she might enjoy snacking on.

Eventually the two settled on grabbing some cookies while having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. After which, they left the kitchens before any of the palace stuff caught them digging about in the sweets before dinnertime.

Lightning and Noctis giggled as they returned to his bedroom to enjoy their snacks.

"Hey Light? Why'd you come while it's raining?" Noctis asked finally, after wiping a smudge of peanut butter and jelly from his mouth.

Lightning stared at her plate of cookies before taking one and biting down. "I thought you might get bored, and I had nothing to do."

"But won't Serah be sad if you're not there?" The young prince asked, also feeling concerned about his friend's younger sibling.

"Serah's a big girl. She said she won't be sad and that she'll wait with Sazh." Lightning said, a smile making its way onto her lips. She was clearly proud of her little sister for being brave, even over something quite trivial.

Serah had been found being protected by Lightning; both alone with no adult or guardians guiding them. They had been a rather pitiful sight, but despite that, Lightning had been full of spirit and had refused to let anyone come close to her or her sister.

"Next time, you can bring Serah to play with us." Noctis suggested, grabbing a cookie for himself.

Lightning nodded. "I'll tell her."

"My dad was going to spend time with me today. But it started raining…" The young prince started and he did not need to say anymore.

Lightning understood that her friend felt lonely at times since his father was the king, and that meant he was always busy since he ruled over the entirety of Lucis. Lightning could not imagine what it was like to have to look after everyone in a huge city, let alone an entire country.

"I'm here now! We can play inside too; me and Serah would play inside every time it's too bad to play outside." The young girl said, reaching over to touch her friend's hand.

Noctis smiled at her happily and slid closer. "You're the best, Light."

"I know." She grinned.

Once the two friends were finished with their snacks, they spent the rest of their time in the prince's room. They played with the abundant amount of toys and even the video games he currently had. One of the perks of being royalty, but to Noctis, it was much more fun when he had a friend to share it with.

"Will you go home to Sazh once the rain goes away?" Noctis asked while they sat themselves on his bed, reading comic books this time.

Lightning looked up from the volume she was reading. "I guess."

"You can stay here! We can have a sleepover!" Noctis said eagerly, bouncing up a bit.

"Sleepover?" Lightning looked at her friend dubiously. "What about your dad? Won't he get mad because I'm here for too long?"

Noctis shook his head. "He won't get mad! Dad won't mind if we're good, and besides, he's busy…"

Lightning thought it over for a moment before nodding. "Okay then. So you won't get lonely."

The prince blushed at her words and pouted at his friend. But he could not deny that she had been quite right about him feeling lonely. He often felt that way when he had been unable to spend time with his father, even though he fully understood why and looked up to him. But he did not want to admit he did feel lonely at times, especially to Lightning. But somehow she just knew.

"… I wanna call Sazh and Serah though." Lightning said, knowing that her sister and guardian would be worried about her if she didn't return after running off.

Noctis nodded and went to search for something under his pillow, and pulled out a cellphone. He handed it to his friend and Lightning gave him an odd look before she dialed a number. The prince waited as she spoke with her guardian and then, by the change of her tone after a moment, Serah as well. She reassured them and let them know she was safe with Noctis.

When the call ended, Lightning handed the phone back to her friend. "Sazh said its fine this time. And it's raining anyway so he told me to stay inside."

"Cool!" Noctis grinned as placed his phone back in its hiding place, happy that his friend would be staying for the night.

"… Do you have donuts?" Lightning asked after a moment of silence. She was having a craving for them.

The prince just laughed and nodded before taking his friend's hand as they left the bedroom yet again to sneak into the kitchen for another fun little heist of any sweets that may be stored in there. It was sure there might be some donuts. Perhaps.

Eventually, the two were discovered, which resulted them in running out of the kitchen and down the halls of the palace while being scolded by some of the kitchen staff.

Naturally, the ruckus caught the ears of the king and Regis peeked out of his study in time to see his young son running off with Lightning, their hands together in order to make sure neither of them fell behind and got caught by the staff who were chasing them.

It never failed to amuse the king whenever the unruly little girl came to visit the palace on her own accord, much to the dismay of her guardian, Sazh Katzroy. It always seemed to make Noctis smile every time his friend made a sudden intrusion, despite how much it troubled the staff at times.

Still, he had to sigh—though he could not hide the smile on his lips—as both Noctis and Lightning made a mad dash to one of the many rooms down the hall.

He would have a talk with the children later tonight; he was well aware of Lightning's intentions to stay at the palace for the night, as Sazh had given him a call of warning. Regis, of course, had no issues with that. He knew that his son had been disappointed in the change of plans to what should have been their bonding time. Lightning being around may be rather good for the prince.

* * *

Once the commotion had long settled down, both Noctis and Lightning found themselves sitting across from the king and his raised eyebrow.

"You two certainly have made a ruckus earlier. You do realize that eating sweets before dinner would spoil your appetite?" Regis said sternly. Lightning straightened a bit and Noctis sunk down into his chair a bit.

"Sorry Dad…" Noctis mumbled a bit.

Lightning averted her eyes slightly, clearly feeling a bit guilty as well.

The king sighed before smiling gently. "Well, next time, how about we wait until after dinner before we have dessert, hm?"

The children nodded and sat up in their chairs properly before tucking into their dinner. But as usually, Noctis pushed his vegetable aside and ate everything else.

Regis shook his head. "You should really learn to eat your carrots, my son."

"I hate carrots." Noctis said simply and ate the rest of his meal.

Lightning looked over at her friend and frowned before reaching over to stab at the neglected vegetables with her fork and ate them herself. She could not have something like that go to waste; having been forced to survive alone with Serah before Sazh came along, she had to look for scraps and food had been hard to come by and so to her, any food had to be appreciated.

Noctis watched his friend as she took his carrots away and lowered his head slightly. He knew about her life before Sazh took her and Serah in, and he had heard where the sisters had been found. The prince may have been young but he understood, and so he made no protest as she took care of the vegetables he refused to consume.

Regis watched the two, ignoring the looks of the staff in the room who were expecting him to scold the guest child for her table manners, but he did not say a word.

Dinner went by smoothly and afterwards, much to the children's delight, there was dessert. A lovely slice of cheesecake for the prince, Lightning, and the king.

Noctis smiled widely as he ate the cake and Lightning did the same. Their bright smiles brought a warmth into the king's heart; it was nice to see such lovely expressions after such a long time. He always wanted his son to be happy and so he did his best to spend time with him but his duty tend to pull him away from his only child, and so Lightning's presence was a blessing to him as she kept the young prince entertained and made him forget his loneliness. However, the king still felt guilty.

Later that night, the two children were allowed to stay up a bit later, but Regis made sure to remind them to go to bed after they had their fun. Now, Noctis and Lightning were in the prince's room once again.

They spent the night talking away and discussing things they would do when they grew up. Lightning was still adamant about becoming a Kingsglaive member so that she may become strong enough to protect those she cared for, including Sazh, Serah, the king, and Noctis.

Of course the young prince also insisted he would become strong as well, since he was going to be the next king.

"You nap too much. You'll just fall asleep during training." Lightning teased.

The prince pouted. "Will not!"

"Will too!" Lightning argued back.

The prince jumped into his bed and declared a pillow fight before he threw a pillow at Lightning, hitting her square in the face. In retaliation, the young Glaive-to-be jumped up and rushed at the prince and grabbed another pillow to smack him in the head.

The two friends laughed as they jumped on the bed, hitting each other with the pillows until they finally grew exhausted from their battle. In the end, they called a truce and laid side-by-side on the prince's large bed.

"Hey Noct?"

"Yeah?"

Lightning frowned for a moment before she turned her head away. "Thanks, for being my friend."

Her words surprised the prince but he smiled and held her hand. "You're my best friend, Light. Forever."

"Promise?" She turned her head and looked at him with a shine in her eyes.

Noctis sat up and Lightning followed suit. He hugged the girl tightly, much to her surprise. Lightning was not sure how to act but she let him be. He was nice and warm, and it felt nice. She liked Noctis and she enjoyed playing with him.

The prince then pulled away slightly and pat her head. "We'll always be best friends, Light. I promise."

* * *

 **Sometimes I feel like I am the only one who genuinely cares about Lightis well and truly. Oh well, I did promise myself I'd continue to give them love even if I was the only one.**

 **Anyway, getting out of the depressive stuff, hope this wasn't too boring. I wanted to show a bit of Light and Noct growing up before they reach their present-time appearance. It won't linger too long on them growing up and the adventure will happen soon.**

 **I thank my readers for their patience and support for Brotherhood. I wanted to make something a bit simple but I am still working on my other major works despite some difficult circumstances in my personal life.**

 **Stay awesome and stay Lightis.**

 **Until then…**


	3. Chapter III: The Advisor

**Chapter III: The Advisor**

Prince Noctis stood behind his father shyly as the king spoke to another child. He was a little older than Noctis and it was clear by his posture that he was far more mature and serious compared to the young prince.

As Regis spoke with the boy, he stood straight and listened carefully, taking every word the king said seriously. He had sandy hair and wore spectacles. He was dressed in the finest formal attire, even for his young age.

Finally, when Regis finished his talk, he turned to his son and then stepped aside to let the boys get acquainted.

Noctis shyly stepped forward to meet the new boy and, to his surprise, the newcomer offered his hand and smiled politely. The young prince smiled as well and took the hand in both of his, shaking it in greeting.

"Hello Prince Noctis. I'm Ignis Scientia," The boy greeted.

"Ig…nis…" Noctis said carefully then his smile widened. "Nice to meet you, Iggy!"

Ignis was caught off guard by the sudden use of a nickname, but he regained his composure. "In the future, I will be your advisor when you are king. I hope we can get along until then."

Noctis just smiled at him before his attention was diverted by a ruckus just outside the throne room. Reigs raised an eyebrow and Ignis seemed puzzled, but the young prince only grinned and waited until the door of the room opened.

A young girl around the prince's age burst through while one of the palace's butlers tried to get a hold of her but she proved to be too fast for him as she made her way up to where the king and prince stood.

"I apologize, Your Majesty! The child just wouldn't hold still…!" The butler began to explain but the king lifted a hand to halt his tirade.

"Lightning!" Noctis happily greeted the girl, who also seemed glad to see the prince in return.

Ignis watched as the two other children hopped around each other, before he looked up at the king, waiting for an explanation, if there was one for the surprising and sudden change of mood.

After dismissing the butler and letting his son and his friend settle down, Regis laughed. "I am sorry for this, Ignis. This young lady is Lightning; she is a friend and I hope you two can also get along."

Lightning eyed the new boy cautiously, taking in his appearance and then glancing at the prince who just smiled and nodded at her. Finally deciding the new boy was harmless, Lightning nodded. "Hi."

Ignis nodded and smiled politely. This had been unexpected; he did not think the prince would have a seemingly constant companion at his side. She had made quite the entrance.

Being of the Scientia family, Ignis had been trained and prepared to fulfill his duties to the next future king, Prince Noctis. However the king and the prince had not been what he expected; they seemed rather warm and accepting, especially towards someone like Lightning.

As he watched them, he could see the girl had a sort of kinship with the prince. She had a protective aura surrounding her and it was clear by the way she moved around and held herself, that she was a fierce little girl.

Out of curiosity, the young Scientia had asked the king about Lightning, to which Regis had told him about the fact that she had a younger sister and was being watched over by a guardian though she had no family herself. It had surprised him that someone that young was without a family, but what more with her younger sibling.

Ignis had been raised to be mature and responsible, in anticipation for his role as the advisor and strategist to the future king. But despite his maturity and couple of years he had ahead of the prince, Ignis was still a child as well.

Throughout the day, the young Scientia made sure to keep an eye on the prince and his unruly friend. He made little observations about the two, even as he had to try and make sure they did not get into too much mischief.

When the pair decided to finally slow down, Ignis offered them a snack.

"I can make some sandwiches," Ignis said as he led Noctis and Lightning to the kitchen.

"Do you cook?" Lightning asked, staring up at the older boy. He stopped and glanced at her before smiling politely and nodding.

"I know how. I'm still learning new recipes, though." Ignis answered as the younger kids took a seat and he went to gather ingredients for their snack.

Noctis watched him and swung his legs a bit. "So…you're just gonna follow us all the time?"

"He's an older kid so he's the babysitter," Lightning said.

Ignis coughed and frowned at the girl. "I have to look after the prince, yes. But I am not a babysitter. I'll become his advisor."

"The word 'friend' sounds better," Lightning said with a shrug. "Advisor means Noct is just your boss and you're just an employee."

Noctis looked between Lightning and then to Ignis. "Friend does sound better. I mean…my dad says you have to work for me, right? But we can be friends."

The older boy sighed and adjusted his glasses, but said nothing in response to that. This was his first day in getting to know the prince, and so far it seemed rather baffling, yet quite interesting. Of course, what he did not expect was for the prince to pick at the sandwich made for him, and remove the lettuce and tomatoes from it, before actually taking a bite.

Lightning glanced at Ignis' incredulous expression. "He doesn't like veggies… He just throws them away." She reached over to take the discarded vegetables for herself instead, putting them into her own sandwich.

Ignis shook his head as he turned back to the prince. "You need to eat healthy, Prince Noctis. It will help you grow stronger."

"I hate tomatoes. And lettuce." Noctis said with a partially-full mouth.

With another sigh, the young Scientia began to feel like his new duties may not go as he had expected, especially with the first impressions he had gotten from the prince himself. And Lightning had been a bonus surprise and that surprise certainly made things livelier than Ignis had anticipated.

After their snacks, Noctis was happy to show off his mother's garden. Though he was no expert on flowers, the prince had some basic knowledge, due to his mother telling him about some flowers. Lightning seemed rather drawn to the red roses and Noctis was more than happy to talk about them just as his mother taught him.

"My mom liked roses too. But she liked all flowers," Noctis said with a small smile.

Lightning carefully touched the rose's petals with the tips of her fingers, looking at the flower curiously. "I think my mom liked flowers too…"

"The king said you have a sister?" Ignis asked politely.

The rose-haired girl glanced at him and nodded. "Yeah. My little sister."

"Does she like cookies? I can make some, so you can bring them home later tonight when you leave." Ignis suggested and Noctis grinned at the suggestion of cookies before nodding encouragingly a Lightning.

Lightning looked at him both before nodding. "Okay. Serah likes cookies."

Ignis smiled warmly. "Good to know then. What kind would both of you and your sister like?"

"Maybe chocolate chips…" Lightning answered after thinking for a moment.

Noctis liked seeing her this way; relaxed and calm around other people. Ignis seemed like a very stiff kid but Lightning seemed to be getting used to him already. It took her a while to get used to Noctis but in the end, the prince happily welcomed her as a friend forever.

"I can share some with Noct. Serah can have the rest," Lightning decided as the three of them headed back inside.

Ignis raised an eyebrow and glanced at the young heir. He then nodded in understanding. "Very well, Miss Lightning."

The rose-haired girl scoffed. "I'm not an old lady! Just Lightning is fine!"

Noctis laughed and Ignis' eyes widened at the girl's huffy response.

* * *

Regis had to admit, things went better than expected when he saw the trio later that day.

Ignis had indeed baked a batch of cookies for the prince and Lightning, while he bagged another batch which he said would be for Lightning to take home with her for her sister, Serah. It seemed that the three were getting along, and the king was thankful for that.

The young Scientia did not seem bothered by how much Lightning and Noctis ran about. Though it was certain they were giving the young advisor a run for his money with how Ignis seemed slightly frustrated as he tried to keep up with the two younger, more hyper children. Perhaps now he was regretting baking the cookies…

Either way, it seemed that a little friendship was forming between the three. That, Regis decided, was a lot better than a mere heir-and-servant working relationship. And it made Lightning feel more welcome around the palace, knowing that even someone like Ignis could see her as a friend as well.

It was later that evening that Sazh actually came to the palace to pick Lightning up. Along with him was little Serah.

She was a timid little thing, compared to her sister. Though Lightning had been quite timid at first, she had begun to relax around her guardian, the king, and especially Noctis. Serah, being much younger, looking to her sister for guidance and protection and Lightning was more than happy to play the role of protector.

Upon seeing her older sister, Serah let go of Sazh's hand and ran for her. The tall man with an afro chuckled as Serah practically tackled Lightning, almost causing the older girl to fall back into the smooth, clean floors of the palace.

"Serah! Be careful! You might get hurt!" Lightning scolded, patting her sister's head.

Noctis pat the younger girl's head in greeting and Serah looked up at him with a big smile before hugging him as well. She liked the prince; she had begun to see him as a brother of sorts and it helped keep Lightning's mind at ease that Serah would have other people who would look out for her.

Ignis approached the younger sister and got on one knee, and greeted her. Serah looked at him shyly, hiding behind both Lightning and Noctis. With a small smile, Ignis lifted the bag of cookies in his hand and offered it.

Serah looked at the older children and Lightning nodded encouragingly, letting her know Ignis was harmless and merely wanted to give her a treat.

When the younger sister took the bag of cookies, she peeked into the packaging and smiled widely. "Thank you," She said shyly.

"Thanks a bunch, kid!" Sazh said as well, letting Serah pass the bag for him to carry.

Ignis bowed politely. "You're welcome, sir. I…wanted to do something nice for a…friend."

Noctis grinned happily and Lightning looked as smug as King Regis. It seemed the usually stiff and formal boy was starting to lighten up around his new companions. While it was clear he would remain as dutiful and formal, but now he would attempt to be friendlier, especially towards those who he could consider as friends.

This was all so unexpected for the young Scientia, especially when Sazh suggested he come along with Noctis next time when the prince decided to visit the sisters at their place.

"I will think about it, sir. Thank you for the invitation," Ignis said politely.

Noctis shook his head. "You should come, Iggy! It'll be fun!"

Regis laughed. "Ah, well the prince did say so…"

Despite his upbringing and his lessons to always be polite towards the king and prince, the boy could not help but look up at the king with a disbelieving look on his face before he just nodded in defeat. Might as well do as he was told. What could the harm be?

Nothing in his training had prepared him for any of this, but perhaps it would not be as bad as he thought it might have been.

* * *

 **And that's another chapter done. Apologies that these chapters are quite short, despite how long I take to actually finish them. Eventually I would like to make the chapters last a little bit longer but for now our heroes will need some more time to grow up.**

 **Until then…**


	4. Chapter IV: Babysitting

**Chapter IV: Babysitting**

Of all things Gladiolus expected of his duties as a shield, he did not expect, nor did he appreciate, being on babysitting duty. While he and the prince had finally learned to get along, all thanks to him covering for Iris, Gladiolus still wanted to do more than just watch over kids.

It seemed the feeling was mutual, however, as Noctis did not seem all too pleased by the fact he had to be watched over in such a way. Having a babysitter like Ignis or even Sazh Katzroy was one thing, but a full-on bodyguard like Gladiolus was pushing it. Though he considered the much older—even older than Ignis at that—boy a friend and companion now, he still did not appreciate the hovering.

Iris was rather happy, since she had been allowed to tag along with her older brother and therefore that meant she could spend time with Prince Noctis. Well, Noctis _and_ Lightning.

While Iris clearly had a baby-crush—as Gladiolus had called it—on the prince, she admired Lightning as if she were some hero. Perhaps due to the fact that Lightning did many daring things no typical little girls did, especially at such a young age. Other than that, Iris also enjoyed playing with Serah who was just three years older years older than her, just like Lightning was three years older than Serah.

Funnily enough, Serah had also tagged along. Lightning did not mind; she had a very soft spot for her sister and so it was almost very difficult to deny her anything at times.

Being the baby sister of Gladiolus, and the youngest in general, in her family, Iris was happy to be around more girls. Even if it was just the Farron sisters.

It had become rather entertaining to Gladiolus when he noticed the pattern; Iris was being watched over by Serah who was older than her, but Serah had to be watched over by Lightning and Noctis and Gladiolus himself had to babysit all four of them.

"Why couldn't have Sazh or that Ignis kid done the babysitting?" The young Shield groaned and rubbed his temples.

He knew it was his duty as Shield to watch over and protect the prince, but following them around and keeping an eye on them while at the park, was not his idea of being a protector. His father, Clarus Amicitia, had the better end of the deal of protecting King Regis and it was a lot more exciting that way.

As Gladiolus watched the younger kids, he thought back to one of the usual days when he would train Noctis. The prince was improving, thankfully. Though he still tended to be lazy and sometimes lacked incentive. But one day, instead of just watching as usual, Lightning had interrupted their training and grabbed another wooden sword, demanding that Gladiolus train her as well.

When he had brushed her off casually, like he would Iris when she tried to boss him around, he had instantly regretted it when it resulted in Lightning swinging the wooden training sword and striking him in the shin. The pain shot through him and he had been so caught off guard that he could not stop himself from falling over and holding onto his shin.

Lightning had stood over him, frowning while tapping the wooden sword against her shoulder.

Gladiolus had lost his cool and began chasing her around the training room, yelling at her while Noctis could only watch as the scene unfolded before him. The Shield mostly limped due to his shin still hurting.

Of course, Lightning would not stop until he agreed to train her alongside Noctis. Gladiolus refused for a good while and the unruly girl demanded he give her a good reason for why he should not train her as well.

Gladiolus, not willing to take just a snot-nosed brat seriously, simply gave her the juvenile response of "Because you're a little girl". Needless to say, the Shield felt that it was a miracle he could still walk with the use of both of his legs.

Even when he managed to return home, his own sister had turned on him. When he explained to her to her why he had icepacks on both of his shins, Iris practically attacked him but hitting his shoulders while calling him a bully. Thankfully, her punches were not as painful as Lightning's…

"That was mean, Gladdy! Lightning should learn how to be strong too!" Iris said loudly, smacking her much older brother against the back of his shoulder while he laid on the couch, nursing his bruised ego, and shins.

"No way! She's just a kid!" He protested.

Iris' cheeks puffed up and turned slightly red. "But Noct is a kid and you always train him!"

Gladiolus rolled his eyes. "That's _different_! He's the prince and he's _supposed_ to know how to fight. Otherwise he's not much of a king if he can't fight or protect himself or anyone else."

"You're still a bully! You called Light a girl!" Iris argued back, smacking her brother again.

"What? She _is_ a girl! Just like you are!" Gladiolus reached back and grabbed his sister, tossing her down onto his lap and tickled her.

Iris laughed and fought back until she was able to wiggle away. However, she accidentally brushed up against his shins and Gladiolus tensed and yelped loudly, taking Iris off his shins and putting her back on his lap where she sat comfortably.

The younger Amicitia gently and carefully adjusted the icepacks for her brother before turning again to hit her little fists against his strong chest. Sighing, Gladiolus just relaxed again, not at all affected by his sibling's attempts to punish him.

"How come Daddy said one day when I get older, I can train too? And I'm a girl!" Iris reasoned.

"That's because you're an Amicitia. You're strong and a born fighter." Gladiolus said with a gentle smile and pat his sister's head.

Iris smiled for a moment then went back to pouting and glaring at him. "But Light wants to be strong too. Can't she train with you and Noct too?"

The Shield huffed and leaned his head back. What was the big deal? Why did Lightning insist to be trained, to the point that she attacked both of Gladiolus' shins? And she looked terribly upset as well; he recalled, as he was finishing his duties for the night, seeing Lightning slumping in a corner with the prince going over to comfort his friend. He could not hear it but she seemed to be saying something and Noctis looked like he was trying to calm her down and encourage her.

Something was going on, it seemed. But was it worth the trouble of investigating?

Iris stared at her brother. "Gladdy? Please? I think Lightning should learn, just like me."

"And if I don't?" Gladiolus asked softly, in a teasing tone.

His devious little sister grinned. "If you don't, I'll tell Daddy you were being a bully and that you bullied Lightning and called her a _girl_!"

He groaned at the little threat. "Again; she _is_ a—"

"Daddy said that it doesn't matter who you are or where you're from! If you have a strong and good heart, then—" Iris began to recite the familiar lecture, only for Gladiolus to place his hand over her mouth.

"Okay, okay! I get it! Damn… I'll think about it, alright?"

Iris pouted and squirmed out of her brother's hold as she called out, "Gladdy is a bully! Gladdy is a bully! He thinks girls can't fight—"

"I _promise_ to consider Lightning for some lessons just like with Noct. Good enough?" Gladiolus said, trying to calm his sister down before she could cause a scene and he got in trouble with their father for being an insensitive brute.

Iris gave her older brother a look, scrutinizing him as if trying to see if his words were truthful or if he was merely attempting to get into her good graces. Mentally Gladiolus cursed his adorable little sister for being more perceptive than she seemed for a little girl her age.

Finally, seeming satisfied with his words, Iris nodded. "Okay! I believe you, Gladdy!"

With a sigh of relief, Gladiolus made a mental note to actually do as he had promised his sister. If he did not, he knew that he would be in for a whole new world of mischief, knowing little Iris and her talent for plotting. He loved her, but she scared him sometimes.

And Gladiolus did do as he had promised; he watched and observed Lightning for the next few days after he had spoken to Iris, and after his shins had recovered.

She continued to pester him whenever he was in the training room with Noctis. The prince did not mind her there and he did not try to shoo her away whenever she disrupted his training session; in fact he seemed a little all too happy to escape from training at times when Lightning ran over to insist she be trained as well. Gladiolus would have to deal with the prince about that some other time.

However, he did notice that Noctis always stayed back to comfort his friend when she got rejected or ignored again. Despite this, Gladiolus could tell it only made the girl even more determined than before. And it showed.

The next day, she would be bolder in her pestering, even making sure to put herself between Noctis and Gladiolus as if keeping the Shield from getting to the prince. Of course the 'brat prince' made no attempt to diffuse the situation and allowed Lightning to do as she pleased.

Whenever Gladiolus tried to circle around to continue his training with Noctis, Lightning would move quickly and block his path. It kept going for a while and Gladiolus could not help but notice that she acted as if she were protecting Noctis. But why would she? Gladiolus was never harmed the prince and every hit or smack was part of training and it never went too far.

Still, she moved around him and held the wooden sword up. Gladiolus moved out of instinct and Lightning dodged and ended up behind him.

Realization hit the Shield. It seemed that she was now trying to trick him into training her somehow. Clever girl, he had to admit. He almost did not notice, and nearly went with it. He had stopped himself in time and Lightning had looked irritated when she realized that he was now onto her.

Though Gladiolus had to admit that she was slowly beginning to change his mind, especially with how eager and enthusiastic she was, compared to the prince. Perhaps it would be nice to teach someone who actually wanted to learn, and maybe Lightning's eagerness might rub off on the prince, considering how attached to the hip they were.

After a few more days, little Lightning still had not given up, even when the servants had to lock her out of the training room as to not disturb the prince's training regime. She always found a way to break in despite that setback.

Gladiolus had to finally give in when he had gone home that day. Naturally, Iris had been ecstatic when her brother told her that he would finally agree to let Lightning train, as she had been more persistent despite the obstacles that prevented her from her goal.

When the next day had arrived, Lightning seemed pleased and almost smug when she had been told that Gladiolus would willingly train her. The servants allowed her back into the training room freely and she was as active as ever. Noctis also seemed happy that his friend would be sharing the lesson with him.

Gladiolus snapped back to reality and looked to where the kids were still playing.

Lightning was holding her sister's hand, making sure she did not wander too far, though Serah obviously knew about keeping herself safe. She was a smart girl just like her sister but she was calmer and knew how to soothe Lightning's temper and overprotectiveness.

Deciding to step in for a bit, the young Shield walked over to the kids to make sure they didn't get into too much mischief; it was all fun and games until someone ends up in the mud, or with scrapes and bruises.

Iris busied herself with collecting bits of nature she found interesting, such as acorns and some tiny flowers and Serah was happily assisting and keeping an eye on her. Lightning seemed to be attempting to climb a tree with Noctis just watching her.

Gladiolus sighed; the prince and his little friend were a pair of walking disasters sometimes, especially Lightning. Sometimes she proved to be a bit of a bad influence. Though never in a truly terrible way. She knew the limits and never pushed boundaries. She was a good kid, just mischievous.

But when it came to her training time, she was surprisingly attentive and disciplined, if not a little more than stubborn when it came to some cases. Her presence kept the prince motivated and that was good enough for Gladiolus as long as the little royal brat actually learned his lessons.

"Alright kiddies! Who's up for some ice cream?" The young Shield announced.

Iris and Serah jumped up excitedly. Lightning and Noctis looked over before nodding at each other before Lightning got down from the tree and headed over with Noctis in tow.

Gladiolus chuckled; he was not fond of babysitting duty, but sometimes it was just fun being the big brother.

* * *

 **Kinda slow this time around but I have been working on another fic. I honestly cannot control what I have the urge to write. Lately my mind has been drawing blanks so I am hoping soon my motivation and creative mojo returns. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, happy reading as always!**

 **Until then…**


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